This invention relates to a releasable mail box mounting apparatus for mounting a roadside mailbox in place for mail delivery.
Mailboxes in rural, surburban and like locations are almost universally mounted at roadside locations. The mailbox is generally mounted to a vertical support, with a front door conveniently located for insertion of the mail from an automobile or other like vehicle. The support often includes a vertical support in the form of a wooden or metal post, with a horizontal support arm to which the mail box is secured.
Roadside mailboxes and the support structures are subject to damage and even destruction by passing vehicles moving, generally accidentally, into engagement therewith. The problem is particularly severe in northern climates having significant amounts of snowfall. Truck mounted snow plows are a particular source of damage, both from actual physical engagement by the wide snowblade and indirectly by the snow which is thrown against the box structure.
Various prior art suggestions exist for mounting of the mailbox on a movable support to avoid or limit the above damage to roadside boxes. A vertical pipe mounted swinging unit is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,239 which issued on Dec. 19, 1978. Many suggestions disclose spring loaded units which permit rotation of the mailbox unit, with the spring unit acting to return the box to the mail receiving position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,579 which issued Oct. 30, 1979 discloses a recent suggestion thereof. A releasable detent unit in a pivotally mounted mailbox support is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,123 which issued Jan. 27, 1931 wherein the spring-loaded detent unit holds the mailbox in the normal mail receiving position. Various other patents show pivotally mounted horizontal arms for supporting the mailbox in the roadside location.
______________________________________ Patent No. Issue Date Inventor ______________________________________ 1,487,625 03-18-1924 Tollefson 1,646,064 10-18-1927 Obermeyer, Jr. 2,552,915 05-15-1951 Zachrich 2,683,013, 07-06-1954 Amundson 2,738,941 03-20-1956 Laurich 2,936,143 05-10-1960 Anderson 2,995,330 08-08-1961 Alms 3,011,598 12-05-1961 Galloway 3,289,998 12-06-1966 McKenney 3,658,284 04-25-1972 Haasl 3,796,170 03-12-1974 Viera 4,130,239 12-19-1978 Belsheim 4,172,579 10-30-1979 Steinman 4,395,012 07-26-1983 Rance ______________________________________
Although the prior art include many suggestions, the apparatus is often quite complex and subject to failure and erratic operation in severe outdoor environment. Further, the complexity of the system result in rather costly apparatus which cannot be conveniently and inexpensively serviced and maintained. Thus, there is a continuing need for a simple, reliable but effective mailbox mounting apparatus for roadside mailboxes.